1/2 rebar for plant supports

[Kaleva]

I've been using 3' and 5' sections of rebar for plant support for some time now and will get some 10' lengths next spring for the sugar snap peas and pole beans.

1/2" by 10' rebar costs about $6.00 at Home Depot and Lowes and as it lasts pretty much a lifetime, it's a bargain in the long run.

For the tomato plants, I'll pound in a 5' length 2 feet into the ground at both ends of the row. In between the ends of the row, I'll pound in more so the spacing is about 6' apart. I'll plant the tomato plants between the rebar and then run twine between the rebar in horizontal rows. As the tomato plants grow, I'll weave them between the rows of twine.

Something like this:

rebar-1' spacing- tomato plant-2' spacing- tomato plant-2' spacing- tomato plant-1' spacing- rebar- 1' spacing and so on.

My rows are going to be 18" raised rows with 2' of spacing between row. For sugar snap peas and pole beans, I'll pound in at an angle a 10' length in the middle of 1 row and another 10' section in the next raised row and the angle will be such that the tow will cross neat the top making an A frame. About 9' down the row, I'll do the same with 2 more 10' sections. Then I'll lay another 10' section across the top and tie it to both A frames. near the bottom, I'll run a line of twine horizontally on both sides and another 6 or so inches above that and repeat until I get to the top. Then I'll run vertical lines at 6" inch intervals.

It will look something like this:



The shorter sections of rebar I already have will be added to the raised bed I just built and with pex tubing, I can install hoops for a low tunnel cover to extend the growing season.

When the gardening is done for the year, I can take the shorter sections of rebar and stand them in a corner of the storage building an place the 10' section on a rack on the wall of the same building. Ready to go for the next year!